In my last post i did a very quick look at a product i found from JTT Scenery Products - Corn Stalks - perfect for ACW gaming.
In this post i want to go over my basing format and step by step guide for how i'll be making my corn fields. This is the process i will be doing to be able to create some large cornfields.
As i said in my last post im basing everything on 40mm x 40mm 2mm thick wooden bases. I use War Bases products as i find there customer service and speed of delivery is great.
I'm using 40mm x 40mm bases as these are the same size as my unit bases which means i can remove cornfield bases to have infantry units actually in the corn fields. This should allow the lads to take some nice pics for their blogs and also be nice and usable for gaming. Allowing different field shapes to be formed easily. I will possible do up a few triangle sections as well but for now lots of square bases is the way to go.
Edit: It occurred to me after id written this blog post that my Cavalry will be mounted on 50mm x 50mm bases. For a second i was scratching my head thinking bugger!! but then it occurred to me that cav had travelling through terrain in Black powder as it slows them to a crawl so i doubt anyone will take cavalry into the fields and if they do it will still work - it will just look a little messier than i hoped.
After a lot of deliberation on how tall the stalks should be i cut about 8-10 mm off each stalk. As i'd read a report that the corn was about 7' high at Gettysburg at the time of the battle i decided the stalks needed to be shorter. They aren't hard to cut shorter so it doesn't add too much to the overall time to do a base.
Anyways on with the tutorial.
Step 1 - Drill out 5 holes
Step 2 - Score some lines into the base with a craft knife. (you can skip this stage but the next step is easier if you do this.)
Step 3 - Putty up the base. I use Selly's Rapid Filla Colour smart. (But any putty will do) Don't worry that you are covering over the holes.
Step 4 - Using an old large brush i stipple the surface of the putty when it's about half dry. This gives a nice textured surface.
Step 5 - Get your drill bit that you used earlier to drill the holes. Wet the end of the drill bit and then push it through the holes you made earlier. Keep wetting the drill bit before you do each hole.
Step 6 - After about an hour the putty should be completely dry. Paint the base black. (As i had my airbrush out and was about to undercoat some confederate cavalry i figured id just spray the bases but obviously you could do this stage by hand).
Steps 7,8,9 Using a triad of browns (Dark to light) apply the darkest colour as a base coat. When dry apply the next to colours as dry brushes.
Step 10 - Using a very small amount of super glue, glue in the 5 stalks of corn.
And your all done. Do that about a hundred more times and you should have some great looking cornfields. Ill put up a picture once i have a few dozen bases done up to this standard. When im at that stage ill do a part 3 covering the edging of the fields and the bases ill be using for that purpose.
I hope you like the process and overall look and hope you find it useful. Key an eye out for part 3 in the future.
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